Downtown Tulsa’s Cam’s Grocery Breaks Ground
FOOD FOR THOUGHT: Approximately 150 people attended the Cam’s Grocery groundbreaking ceremony held on site at 114 S. Detroit Ave. in downtown Tulsa’s Blue Dome District. From left are Dan Cameron, proprietor; Michael Sager, partner with Route 66 Development LLC; Sean Griffin, chair of Entrepreneurial Initiatives, Tulsa EDC, TCC Launch Program developer and Downtown resident; and Delise Tomlinson, executive director of Downtown Development, Tulsa Metro Chamber. The Pedicab to the right with the Cam’s Grocery logo is owned by Tulsa Pedicabs. Tulsa Pedicabs will offer human-powered deliveries for Cam’s.
Cam’s Grocery, owned by Tulsan Dan Cameron, celebrated with a groundbreaking ceremony on Sept. 14 to announce the transition to the construction phase of the project. Cameron announced that he will be opening his first location in downtown by the end of winter. Cam’s is an independent natural foods grocery and café that will be located at 114 S. Detroit Ave. in the Blue Dome District.
Special guests at the ceremony included Terry Simonson, chief of Staff, office of Mayor Dewey Bartlett; Michael Sager, partner with Route 66 Development ; Sean Griffin, chair of Entrepreneurial Initiatives, Tulsa , Launch Program developer and downtown resident and Delise Tomlinson, executive director of downtown development, Tulsa Metro Chamber.
It is widely known that in order for an urban environment to fully develop, there must be a high degree of livability and one key component for this formula is a grocery store. Cam’s provides that component and Cameron says, “The store will be the catalyst to the downtown Tulsa boom that is already underway.” He adds, “With all the restaurants and venues and retail, including Lee’s Bicycles, Fleet Feet and Dwelling Spaces, Cam’s adds a missing link to what downtown Tulsa is poised to become. Something like 200 residential units are scheduled to be completed in the next 18 months, and that’s huge.”
The community is in huge support for Cam’s. Approximately 150 people attended the groundbreaking ceremony. Cameron says, “The excitement and support for this store is very promising. For instance, we have over 1,000 Facebook fans and we don’t even have a store open yet. The story I hear over and over is that Tulsans want their own grocery store, something local and that is genuinely committed to the community.”
Cam’s will be a full service grocery and café catered to downtown Tulsa’s needs. Cameron says, “Cam’s Grocery will feature local, natural and organic products to a wide audience including Tulsa’s downtown workforce, downtown and surrounding residents, downtown hotel visitors as well as health-conscious and sustainability-minded shoppers from all over the region. The store will provide locally sourced produce, meats and cheeses. Cam’s will also feature a buyer’s club and home deliveries.”
Cameron says that Cam’s Café will include a newsstand with superb locally roasted coffees, breakfast, lunch and dinner, a craft juicery, grab-n-go and Oklahoma beers and wines by the glass.
Cam’s Grocery is cast with an all-star team. Cameron has 20 years retail experience with six years as a general manager at a natural foods grocery in Eugene, Oregon. Cameron also has eight years farming experience and one year at a natural foods distributor. He advised Oklahoma Dist. 72 Rep. Seneca Scott for the authoring of HB3015, The Healthy Corner Stores Initiative, and is passionate about the local economy.
Also on board are Route 66 Development , Aqua Vita Creative, a locally-based financial team and natural foods industry experts from across the nation.
Cameron has been working on this concept for over a year and took the idea through the Tulsa Community College Launch program. He has also been provided assistance from SCORE and the Tulsa Metro Chamber.
A graduate of the University of Oregon and Jenks High School, Cameron was most recently the assistant publisher of the Greater Tulsa Reporter Newspapers.
For more information about Cam’s Grocery, visit www.camsgrocery.com.
Updated 09-27-2011
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